tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8270793179032814466.post2272077004411075886..comments2018-02-21T21:00:16.465-07:00Comments on Wide Urban World: Were ancient societies more egalitarian than we had thought?Michael E. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942595266312225661noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8270793179032814466.post-38507980114954322282016-10-17T15:09:34.433-07:002016-10-17T15:09:34.433-07:00@Robert - The Borgerhoff et al publications show a...@Robert - The Borgerhoff et al publications show a low but consistent level of inequality in hunter-gatherer societies. Since these are objectively measured data, expressed as Gini coefficients, it is a good baseline for understanding hunter-gatherer inequaltiy in a comparative context:<br /><br />Borgerhoff Mulder, Monique and et al. (2009) Intergenerational Wealth Transmission and the Dynamics of Inequality in Small-Scale Societies. Science 326:682-688.<br /><br />Bowles, Samuel, Eric Alden Smith and Monique Borgerhoff Mulder (2010) The Emergence and Persistence of Inequality in Premodern Societies: Introduction to the Special Section. Current Anthropology 51(1):7-17.<br /><br />Smith, Eric Alden, Monique Borgerhoff Mulder, Samuel Bowles, Michael Gurven, Tom Hertz and Mary K. Shenk (2010) Production Systems, Inheritance, and Inequality in Premodern Societies: Conclusions. Current Anthropology 51:85-94.<br />Michael E. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03942595266312225661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8270793179032814466.post-10959926146103143532016-10-14T02:36:08.216-07:002016-10-14T02:36:08.216-07:00Interesting stuff. My impression (as an anthropolo...Interesting stuff. My impression (as an anthropologist who does not specialize in foraging societies) is that the bulk of inequality among foragers is gender-based (to the disadvantage of females, of course) and that the widespread nature of near equality is a function of the lack of much property, property ownership being the basis of most inequality in other societies.<br />(My blog: Culture World 21c)Robert Moorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05639371903932229530noreply@blogger.com